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(No Model. 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

R. BLACK &-G. M. HAVEY.

SIGNAL FOR RAILROADS;

No. 529,889. Patented Nov. 27, 1894',

NITED STATES PATEN OFFICE.

ROBERT BLACK AND CORNELIUS M. HAVEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SIGNAL FOR RAILROADS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 529,889, dated November 27, 1894.

Application filed March 30, 1894.

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, ROBERT BLACK and CORNELIUS M. HAVEY, citizens of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, haveinvented an Improvement in Signals for Railways, of which the following is a specification.

In Letters Patent No. 512,441, granted to us January 9, 1894, a signal is made use of having a rack-bar whichis alternately con: nected anddisconnected in the signal mechanism so that expansion or contraction due to varying temperat ures does notin any manner interfere with the, proper movements of the signal.

Our present invention is made for simplifying the construction of the parts and for adapting the same to railways in which the signal is set by toggle or trap bars with which the wheels come into contact, and this signal is especially intended for use on elevated railways, but is not limited in that particular.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan representing the general features of our invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation. Fig. 3 represents the mechanism within the rack box, the cover being rem'oved. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan below the line mm of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a cross section at the line 3/ y. Fig. 6 is a cross section at the line 2: a. Fig. 7 is an elevation, partially in section, of amodification in the arrangement of the parts acting upon the rackbar, and Fig. 8 is a separate view of'the latch bar with rack teeth instead of notches.

Any suitable visual signal is employed, and we have represented the stand B as adapted to such signal, and the bent lever A is connected to such signal and also to a rod 0 extending to the lever arm D upon a rock shaft E which crosses below the track and is acted upon by toggle or trap barsF of Ordinary construction, there being a link G between the center of such toggle or trap bars and an arm 3 uponlhe rock shaft E. These parts are of ordinary character, and when a train passes along the track, the wheels depress the toggle or trap bars F and give a movement to the rock shaft and through the lever D and rod 0 to the signal, setting the same to danger, and at the same time the lever D gives an endwise motion to the rod Hwhich compresses the springl that is between a col- Serial No. 505,686. (No model.)

lar 4upon the rod andthe stationary bracket 5, audit also gives an end movement to the latch bar K, and there is alatch L which engages the notch.6 in the rack bar K to hold the signalin the position of-danger.

' The latch L is within .the box M which is preferably of cast metal and provided with a surrounding a bar 0 that is hinged to the bent lever N near the pawl end thereof, the spring acting to hold the pawl portion of the bentlever vertical, and in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, the latchL is represented as pivoted upon the same stud 8 as the bent lever N,.the lower part of the bent lever N passing below the latch L, so that when the rack bar U which engages thepa'wl end 9 is moved endwise, the bent lever N can be swung on its pivot and lift the latch L out of the notch 6.

Itis advantageous to employ a spring 10 to hold the latch L downand also to slot the latch bar K longitudinally and provide a stud 11 in such slot for supporting the latch bar and allowing the same .to move endwise with freedom. r

It is to be understood that the rack bar U extends any desired distance along thetrack to togglesorttrap-bars by which the passing train is caused to draw the rack bar U endwise, the object being to allow the signal at B .to remain at danger until the train reaches the distant mechanism for drawing the rack bar Uendwise, and in so doing the tcethrupon such rack bar U engage the pawl end 9 of the bent lever N and move the same, lifting the latch L out of thenotch 6 and liberating the latch bar, so that the spring I returns the signal at B to safety, and simultaneously elevates the toggle or trap bars ready to be acted upon by another passing train.

In the normal position the rack bar U is out of engagement with the pawl end 9 because such rack bar is lifted into the position indicated in Fig. 7, by the return of the latch bar by the latch L,

x 5 spring the rack Q, pivoted at and signal to their normal position of safety. This is eifected by any suitable mechanism.

In Figs. 3, 4 and 0, we have represented a lifter P beneath the rack bar U having a pro- 5 jecting pin 12 entering a slotin the cam plate Q, which cam plate is fastened upon the latch bar K and'is provided with an inclined slot, so that when the signal at B is set to danger and the latch bar K is moved endwise and caught the lifter P is lowered by the cam slot to allow the teeth of the rack bar U w to engage the pawl end 9, as illustrated in Fig. 3, and when the latch L is liberated and the latch bar K is moved endwise by the I, the inclined slot in the cam plate Q lifts the pin 12 and lifter l? and raises the rack barU above and out of contact with the pawl end 9, so that such rack bar U is free to expand or contract under changes of tempera- 2o ture withoutinterferin g with the action of the mechanism, because it is usually presumed that the train will run over the toggle bars and set the signal at danger only a few minutes before it reaches the distant station to draw bar U endwise and return the rear signal to safety as aforesaid, and by which operation the rack bar U is separated from the pawl end by being raised by the lifter P. In Fig. 7, we have represented a bent lever 13 in place of the cam'plate Q for giving motion to the lifter P, such bent lever Q being slotted near its ends for pins in the latch bar and litter respectively, and in this Fig. 7 we have represented a latch 5 bolt L set in a sliding block S, the horizontal end of the bent lever N passing into a mortise in such sliding block S and serving to raise or depress the same, and when it is raised, the latch bolt L is lifted out of the 0 notch 6 in the latch bar K so that the end movement of the latch bar K by the spring I raises the rack bar U by the bent lever Q, and lifter P, disengaging the rack bar from the pawl end 9 and allowing the spring 0 to return the bent lever N to its normal position, so that the latch bolt L will drop into the notch 6 when the latch bar K receives an end motion by the passage of the next train to hold the signal at danger as aforesaid, and

in so doing the bent lever Q lowers the rack bar U so that its teeth engage the pawl end 9 as aforesaid. I

A spring 14: may be employed to press the rack bar U down toward the pawl end 9 for 5 5 causing the rack bar teeth to engage such pawl end.

It is preferable to place the box M in the vertical position represented, so that the rack bar U may drop by gravity, but in cases where the parts are placed horizontally the spring 14 may be sufficient to move the rack bar U laterally to bring its teeth into contact with the pawl 9.

If the latch bar is provided with teeth, instead of a notch, as seen in Fig. 8, the risk of the latch L failing to catch in consequence of differences in position due to expansion or otherwise is reduced to a minimum.

We claim as our invention- 1. The combination with a signal and mechanism for setting the same automatically by the passing train, of a latch bar receiving motion when the signal is set, a latch for holding the latch bar, a rack bar extending to a distance along the track and receiving an end motion by the passing train, a pawl engaging the teeth on the rack bar and acting to liberate the latch and allow the latch bar to be returned to a normal position and the signal changed, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination in a railway signal, of a latch bar receiving an end motion by the setting of a signal, a latch for holding such latch bar, a rack bar extending to a distance from which the signal is to be liberated, a pawl acted upon by the rack bar and moving the latch to liberate the latch bar, and a lifter for separating the rack bar from the pawl, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination in a system of railway signals, of mechanism for setting the signal by a passing train, a latch bar simultaneously receiving end motion from the passing train, a spring acting upon the latch bar and compressed by the end movement thereof, a latch for holding the latch bar in position, a rack bar acted upon automatically by the passing of the train at a distant place, a pawl lever engaging the teeth on the rack bar, a spring for acting upon the pawl lever, a latch receiving its motion from the pawl lever and acting to liberate the latch bar and allow the spring to return the signal to its normal position, a lifter and a connection therefrom to the latch bar for moving the rack bar and causing it to engage with or be separated from the pawl, substantially as set forth.

Signed by us this 24th day of March, 1894.

ROBERT BLACK. G. M. I-IAVEY.

Witnesses:

HENRY A. Cox, EDMUND T. LUND. 

